Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna

“In most families, girls had no business doing anything except learning to cook, clean, sew, and care for babies.”

In this quote, Petra highlights the gender norms of her cultural and historical context, which dictate that women belong in the home. Petra’s praise for her father always encouraging her to live outside of these boundaries suggests that she has no intention of living within these cultural limitations.

“Our quiet village no longer had the heart to celebrate anything, and the only talk these days was about the revolution.”

In the midst of the Mexican Revolution, Petra’s once happy and peaceful village now lives in perpetual fear of raids from the Federales. This quote highlights the heavy and negative impact the war has had on the nation as a whole.

“My home, my life – everything I knew was gone. There was nothing to come back to.”

The Mexican Revolution has turned Petra’s life upside down. Not only has her father been forced to fight in the war, but once the Federales burn their house to the ground, there is no choice but for Petra and her family to leave their former life behind for a new one.

“And my dreams of learning to read and write – those drew further away each day.”

In the wake of the traumatic loss of her home and way of life, Petra initially fears that it will limit her ability to dream. Knowing that taking care of her family amid the Revolution will be a full-time job, Petra laments that her goal of getting an education will likely need to be put aside.

“When I closed my eyes, I could almost see Papá coming home from work.”

This quote finds Petra holding the black rock given to her by her father. For Petra, the rock serves as a reminder of her father and the promise she made to him. Thinking fondly of him empowers her to continue to fight for the safety and well-being of her family amid the war.

“Girls with dark skin were expected to feel ashamed, to walk with their heads low and know their place in the world.”

This quote addresses the concept of “colorism”—the racist discrimination against those with darker skin tones, privileging proximity to whiteness—and the way it has impacted Petra’s life and understanding of herself thus far. That she has been conditioned to believe from a young age that her dark skin makes her inherently less valuable in society exemplifies the systemic racism inherent in Petra’s historical and cultural context.

“The thought of going to school in America made my heart skip.”

Having dreamed of receiving an education her entire life, the thought of going to school in America with Adeline is thrilling for Petra. This thought making her heart skip a beat suggests that an American education is Petra’s ideal plan for her future.

“She had always scorned my talk of letters, teachers, or learning to read.”

This quote highlights Petra’s feeling of difference within her own family. Though all the women in her family thus far have followed the culturally prescribed expectations to marry and take care of their homes and families, Petra has different aspirations for herself. That Abuelita is constantly scolding her about having such dreams represents the perspective of an older generation that believed in the need to conform for their own survival and livelihood.

“I thought back to my village, to Esperanzas. No one there knew how to read or write, except for the well-to-do. That bothered me, but what angered me the most were people like Abuelita who simply accepted it.”

This quote highlights Petra’s resentment regarding the resources and opportunities denied to the poor in her village. It also suggests resentment toward her grandmother, whom Petra believes continues to uphold and perpetuate these harmful disparities by accepting them rather than challenging them.

“I wanted stability in my life. I wanted to go to school. But my dream was meaningless if I didn’t stick to my promise.”

Petra is determined to fulfill her dream of receiving an education and becoming a teacher, but she believes that fulfilling her promise she made to her father to take care of her family in his absence is her first priority—if she can successfully do that, then she can do anything.

“I needed someone to show me how to survive, someone to hold me and tell me everything would be fine.”

Petra’s journey is a classic coming-of-age arc. Though Petra is an incredibly strong and capable young girl, she begins the story still very much a child. Without either of her parents around to guide her, Petra cannot help but feel lost and alone amid the chaos of trying to survive the Revolution. By the end of her story, Petra grows into herself, learning to trust her own instincts and step into her own autonomy.

“That night I lay down exhausted but relieved. I had a sense of direction, and it was enough to bring me a sliver of hope.”

The decision to travel to America marks a major turning point for Petra, giving her a concrete path to follow. For Petra, going to America represents safety from the fighting and upheaval in Mexico, and the opportunity for the education she has long desired.

“A heavy, invisible force pressed down on my shoulders. The force pushed through me, reaching my soul and sapping away my last shred of strength.”

This quote emphasizes the stakes of Petra’s reality as she tries to get her family to safety. Petra shoulders the weight—both physically and emotionally—of trying to lead her family to safety amid the Mexican Revolution. When she struggles to carry her ailing sister through a dust storm, Petra feels defeated. That she is so exhausted and overwhelmed that she cannot even bring herself to cry suggests that the journey toward safety has had a significantly negative impact on her body and mental state.

“I was ready to observe nature and let her guide me.”

After an enlightening conversation with Abuelita about the healing powers of nature, Petra feels rejuvenated and ready to fulfill her promise to her father. In this quote, Petra demonstrates her family’s belief in the transformative power of nature to help them throughout their journey.

“After Mamá’s passing and Papá’s forced departure, villagers had expected me to go to the streets and beg for alms. I never did. Instead, I picked up Papá’s hatchet and taught myself to use it.”

This quote indicates Petra’s self-sufficiency and commitment to Deviating From Cultural Norms and Staying True to Oneself. The fact that she refuses to beg on the streets, even though it is the accepted practice for women in need, demonstrates Petra’s independence, practicality (begging for money yields a fraction of the money that selling firewood affords her), and desire to do things her own way despite cultural expectations.

“I was angry at my helplessness, angry at my lack of power, and angry at the world for stripping layer upon layer of dignity off my soul.”

This quote finds Petra reacting with anger to the shame of having to beg on the street for help, which she has never been desperate enough to do previously. Her resentment at having to resort to desperate measures in order to help her sick baby brother indicates her passion to see revolutionary change on both a personal and societal level.

“I was speechless. I wanted to be like Marietta. I wanted to learn things, to teach things. I wanted people’s respect.”

Meeting Marietta is a significant turning point for Petra, who rarely met a woman who wears pants, let alone one who captains an entire team of rebels. Seeing a woman who does not conform to society’s expectations and fights for what she believes in is deeply inspiring to young Petra, who longs to follow a similar path.

“Something powerful took over me, and I could no longer hold my tongue.”

Meeting Marietta is such a transformative experience for Petra that it enables her to stand up to Abuelita and challenge her inherited perspective on women and their role in society. Seeing a version of the type of woman Petra hopes to become is so powerful that she can no longer stand to tolerate Abuelita’s disdain for women who choose to deviate from the norm.

“I was convinced. Joining the rebels was what I had to do.”

Meeting Marietta empowers Petra to imagine alternative futures for herself including joining the rebels in their fight against the Federales to make her country the place she hopes it can be one day.

“I didn’t want to remain in a place without change.”

This quote highlights Petra’s desire to live in a place that embraces the ideals of peace and equality that her Papá taught her to value. Petra’s determination to get her family across the American border suggests an inherent belief that the United States represents those ideals to her.

“This was my homeland, my Mexico, and it was a beautiful and enchanting place. I want to fight for her. I wanted to fight to make her better.”

Though the place Petra has always called home is no longer a welcoming or comfortable place to live amid the Revolution, this quote indicates that Petra continues to harbor love and pride for Mexico. Her dream of fighting to make it a better place to live for everyone shows that love, as well as demonstrating Petra’s independence and strong-will.

“The strength I’d seen in her – the one I’d envied the night before – I had it. It’d been with me all along.”

Meeting Marietta empowers Petra to realize that she herself possesses the very qualities that she admires in the older woman. Seeing herself mirrored in Marietta, Petra discovers that everything she needs to protect her family and survive the Revolution already exists inside of her.

“Dreaming of them would ease my heartaches and set my hopes for a better tomorrow.”

When the chaos of the Revolution becomes overwhelming, Petra looks to her dreams of her parents for comfort and solace. Dreaming about fulfilling her promises to them and ultimately making them proud gives her the strength she needs to continue on her journey toward greater opportunity.

“I stopped for a moment, shut my eyes, and made a promise to myself. I would go to school one day, no matter what.”

This quote reflects the integration of Petra’s desire to protect and provide for her family with the determination to pursue her dreams and make them a reality, no matter how difficult the journey may be. That Petra makes this promise to herself is indicative of both her passion for education and her overall strength of character.